Carriage control mechanism for phonographs



March 21, 1961 R. M. SILVERMAN 2,976,048

CARRIAGE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR PHONOGRAPHS Filed May 9. 1956 J07 INVENTOR .102 85 5 floberfmfiilverman I 8 f United States Pate- G e CARRIAGE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR PHONOGRAPHS l lohert M. Silverman, Union, N.J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to McGraw-Edison Company, Elgm, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 9, 1956, Ser. No. 583,715

6 Claims. 01. 274-13 This invention relates to improvements in phonographs and more particularly to phonographs adapted for re producing dictation, such phonographs being otherwise known as secretarial or transcribing machines.

Such phonographs are desirably provided with a power means for backspacing the reproducer and its carriage by small steps along the record, and with manual means for shifting the carriage either way. Inorder to avoid a possible conflict between the two means for moving the carriag e, provision is here made for disabling the power means when an operator starts to move the carriage in either direction. Also, when the carriage is so moved iii either direction by the manual means or is backspaced by thefpower means, a device is energized for centering the reproducer with respect to the carriage. 4

,An object of the invention is to provide a novel control mechanism for phonographs which is operated whenever an operator starts to move the carriage by hand.

Another object is to provide such control mechanism in the form of a lost-motion coupling betweenthe manual means and carriage together with a control means which is responsive to take-up of the lost motion in the coii'plin'g when the manual means is operated.

Another object is to provide a centering means respor'r sive to the aforestated control mechanism for centering the 'reproducer whenever the carriage is moved by hand.

Another object is to provide power means for backstaging the carriage and means for disabling said power means when an operator starts to move the carriage by hand.

Another object is to provide, in combination with backspacing means, a power means for centering the reproducer or other translating device with respect to its carriage, and a switch which is operated prior to move ment of the carriage in either direction for disabling the backspacing means and for supplying current to the centering means. i i

These and other objects and advantages willjbecome apparent from the following detailed description when taken with the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that the drawings are for purpo'ses ofillusltrationjand do not define the scope or limits of t'h'e invention, reference being had for the latter purpose to the appended claims.

Inthe drawings, wherein like reference characters denote like parts in the several views:

Figure l is a fragmentary top plan'of the mechanism of a reproducing machin'e'as seen with the top 'sectiono'f the housing removed. I

lFigure 2. is a top plan of portions of the mechanism shown in Figure l, with parts broken away to more clearly show underlying portions. 7 Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on'the line 3-"-3 oflFigure l, in the direction of the arrows. V figure '4 is a vertical sectional view on the line of -Figure, 1, in the direction of the arrows.

6 Figure 5 is -a horizontal sectional view ont he line 55 of Figure 3 in the direction of the arrows.

Patented Mar. 21, 1961 6 an electrical circuit diagram.

Inthe present embodiment, the invention is shown in a dictating machine of the secretarial type, that is, one usable only for transcribing dictation. However, it may be used in one of the type suitable for both recording and reproducing dictation. However, as it is particularly adapted for use in connection with the transcribing of dictation, itis here illustrated only in the one type of machine. The machine has a housing comprising relatively flat lower and upper pan-shaped housing sections, only the lower one 11 of which is shown. The Somers application, Serial No. 347,875, filed April 10, 1953, now US. Patent No. 2,866,547, dated December 30,1958, and having common ownership with the present application, is referred to as disclosing a machine for both recording and reproducing dictation, and for parts of the present mechanism not liere fully disclosed. As disclosed in said application,- the housing sections are desirably generally rectangular, as viewed from the top, and meet mainly on a medial plane. The lower section 11 is of one-piece construction biit the upper section desirably comprises front and rear members. The housing sections are secured together by serews (not shown) to form a structure which is substantially closed except for a long horizontal 'slot for 'ins'ei'tioii and removal of disc records with respect to the machine, as shown in said Somers application. The lower'lioii'sing "11, which also serves as a frame for the machine, 'has' an upstanding post 12 on which is journal-ed a tubular shaft 13 for a turntable 14 (Figure 1). The shaft carries 'a'worm gear 15 which meshes with a worm wheel do on a feed screw 17, supported at its ends by bearings '18 and 19. The turntable is driven in the direction of the arrow A, from a drive pulley 21 of a motor (not shown), through a belt 22 to a driven wheel 23, having a driving spindle 24 for engagement with a friction idler wheel 25. The idler Wheel 25 is urged by a tension spring 26 against the peripheral rim of the turntable 14 and against a brake shoe 27 for braking the turntable against movement. The idler 25 is journaled to a link 28 which, in turn, is pivoted to acontrol lever 29, itself pivoted on a stud 31. Thus, by turning the control lever, the idler is moved from the brake shoe along the'peripheral rim of the turntable into frictional engagement with the drivi'ng'spindle.

Overlying the central portion of the turntable is a front-to-back-extending bridge 32, having foot like end portions seating on the lower housing section of which the forward portionis shown as being secured thereto by means of screws 32a. On this bridge, axially in line with the turntable, is an interior bearing 33 rotatably receiving 'a'plunger rod 34 which carries a record-clampiiig member 35 at its lower end. The plunger rod is movable upwardly and downwardly by a transversely-extending'U-"shaped lever 36, which is pivoted at the right side of the bridge 'on'a cross pin 37. Secured to the inner-end of 'this U lever is a fork 3-8 having diametrically-opposite pins 39 'which engage a peripherally-grooved portion of the reco'rd-clamping member 35.

The U-lever is coupled to a door (not shown) hinged to the top section of the housing. This door may 'be opened to provide space for the fingers in mounting or removing a disc record with respect to the turntable. The coupling between'the door and the U-lever 26 is such that the record-clamping member is engaged and disengaged with respect to the turntable, as the door is opened and closed, as more fully described in the Somers application referred to.

V On the front portion of the lower housing section 11, the're'is'a 'pair of standards 41 supporting a front cross rod '42 Also, at the central portionof the lower housingsectiom'there is a second pair of standards 43, only one of'which "is sho'wn,'supporting a cross rod 44in a position enerally parallel to the cross rod 42. Mounted slidably on these cross rods is a subcarriage 45 comprising a casting 46 having apertured lugs 47 slidably embracing the cross rod 42. The casting 46 is provided with a rearward portion 48 slidably embracing the rear cross rod 44. Mounted on and secured to the subcarriage 45, to the left of the portion 48, is a bracket 49.

Staked to this bracket is a vertical stud pin 51 on which is journaled a circular feed nut 52 which meshes with the feed screw 17. Downward pressure is exerted on this feed nut by alever 53, fulcrumed on the bracket 49, by the force of a compression spring (not shown) interposed between an intermediate portion of the lever and the head of an adjusting screw 54 that is threaded into said bracket. The adjusting screw passes through a clearance opening in the lever 53, as in the Somers application referred to. The pressure on the central feed nut 52 is set by adjustment of the screw 54, so that said nut is fricticnally held sufficiently against rotation to cause the subcarriage to be driven upon rotation of said feed screw, but insufliciently to prevent the carriage from, being moved by hand through manual control means.

A main carriage 55 overlies the subcarriage 45 and comprises a hollow rectangular casting 56 provided with a forward extension 57. The extension 57 terminates in two downwardly-extending feet 58, which are apertured for pivotal engagement with the trunnions 59. These trunnions are threaded through the arms 61 of an upstanding U-shaped bracket on a front apron 62 of the subcarriage 45. Secured to the rearward end of the main carriage 55 is a stud 63 on which is journaled a roller 64, as shown in Figure-'1. This roller rides on a horizontal cross rod 65 carried by and projecting leftwardly from the bridge 32. Thus themain carriage 55 rides on the rod 65 at its rearward end and is hinged to and propelled by the subcarriage at its forward end. Substantial upward displacement of the main carriage may be prevented as disclosed in the Somers application referred to. "3

Although the main carriage 56 may carry a recorder as in the Somers application, in the present instance such has been omitted and only a reproducer 66 shown. This reproducer is mounted on the front portion of themain carriage with universal (lateral about pin and vertical about pin 60) freedom of movement. The reproducer 66 has a stylus 67 at its rearward end for engaging a record 70 under the influence of its own weight. In the normally centralized position of the reproducer, the stylus 67 thereof engages the record 70 at a short trailing distance behind the recorder, if used, with respect to the direction of advance of the carriage. I

The reproducer 66 has a laterally-extending lift pin 68 at its right hand side near its free end. The lifting is done through a lever mechanism 69 mounted on the right wall of the main carriage and operableby a lift rod 71 that extends parallel to the path of travel of the carriage. The lift rod 71 is mounted for up-anddown swinging movement on parallel arms 72 and 73 which are secured to a shaft 74 journaled in the bridge 32. The lever mechanism 69 is such that when the lift rod 71 is in a raised position the reproducer 66 is withheld from the record, but when the lift rod is in an intermediate or lowered position, said reproducer engages the record. in view of these functions of the lift rod, its uppermost and intermediate positions are herein respectively termed its neutra and reproducing positrons.

The control mechanism 75 is mounted on the left end portion of a bracket plate 76 which may extend the full length of the machine. This bracket plate may be secured near its right end to a lug on the bridge (not shown) and supported at its central portion by a foot extending along the front of the bracket plate and seated on and secured to a ledge (not shown) on the lower housing section. At its left end it is secured by screws 77 to posts 78 upstanding from the lower housing section 11, as viewed most clearly in Figure 3. The bracket plate 76 has a vertical bearing 79 at its left end. It also has a right-angled lug 81 depending therefrom and carrying a second vertical bearing 82 in line with the first bearing. These bearings support a shaft 83 for, in the present embodiment, only rotational movement. On the upper end of this shaft there is secured a control knob 84.

Secured to the lower end of the shaft 83 is a pinion 85 in engagement with a rack 86. Between the rack 86 and a bottom plate member 87, there is sandwiched a plate 88 fixed with respect to, and extending leftwardly from, the subcarriage 45 in line with its direction of travel. The rack 86 and the plate 87 are connected together, as by pins 89 and 91, each desirably having reduced top and bottom end portions 92 received in corresponding apertures in, and providing shoulders 93 engaging, the rack 86 and plate 87, respectively, to prevent them from cramping the plate 88 against relative horizontal sliding movement. After assembly, the pins may be headed over, as indicated at 94, to hold said rack 86 and plate 87 together for sliding movement as a unitary assembly along the plate 88.

Such sliding movement of the rack assembly is permitted by providing the plate 88 with elongated slots 95 and 96 through which pass the pins 89 and91 respectively. The rack assembly is centrally biased to occupy normally a midposition wherein the pins 89' and 91 are midway the length of the respective slots. This center biasing is accomplished by providing the upper and lower plates of the rack assembly and the intermediate plate 88 with 'identically-shaped longitudinallyextending rectangular openings which are aligned to appear as one opening 101 when the rackassembly is in its midposition, and by providing a compression spring 97 in this opening for yieldably maintaining this align: ment. However, in order to confine the spring 97 in the opening, the intermediate plate 88 may have short inwardly-extending lugs 98 and 99 receiving the ends of the spring. In view of this construction, a turning of the control knob 84 in either direction first compresses the spring 97 until the lost motion in the coupling is taken up and then imparts movement to the carriage. As will appear, the taking up of the lost motion in the coupling preceding the start of movement of the carriage is utilized to operate a control switch for controlling certain mechanisms of the machine.

Backspacing of the main carriage 55, through the subcarriage 45, for the purpose of listening back to selected portions of a recordation, is preferably carried out step-by-step with the use of a power means comprising an electromagnet 102 having a magnetic core 103, U-shaped in plan as viewed in Figure 2, on the near arm of which is positioned a magnetizing coil 104. The base of the U-shaped core is secured to an up; standing flange 105 of the subcarriage 45 as by means of screws 106.

The electromagnet 102 has an armature 107 pivoted to the rearward arm of the U-shaped core as indicated at 108. This armature 107, which oscillates to and from the electromagnet as the latter is energized and deenergized, has a leftwardly-extneding arm 109, secured thereto as indicated at 111, and carrying a pin 112'adjacent its leftward end. The pin 112 actuates a bell-crank lever 113, as by engaging in a slot 114 in the near arm thereof. Said bell-crank lever is pivoted to the subcarriage 45 as to a horizontal lug on the flange 105, by a pin indicated at 115. Upon oscillation of the bell-crank lever 113 as the electromagnet 102 is energized and deenergized, the other arm thereof 116, which extends diagonally rearward and leftward from said pin 115, is correspondingly oscillated. The am 116 carries a pin 117 received in a slot 118 in a plate 119, pivotally mounted on the stud 51 and spring-biased to normally engage the stop systems 121 upstanding from the subca'rri'a'ge 45. This plate 119 carries a pawl 122 pivoted thereto at 120 and normally held from engagement with a ratchet 123 by a tension coil spring 124 but arranged to be cammed into engagement with said ratchet by a curved projection 125 on the bracket 49. A

Thus, energization of the electromagnet 102 draws the armature 107 clockwise toward it, swinging the bell crank lever 113 counterclockwise, pulling the plate 119 clockwise, and causing the pawl 122 to be cammed into engagement with the ratchet 123, which is fixed with respect to the circular nut 52. Such action thereby turns said nut clockwise along the feed screw 17 and backspaces the carriage a small amount. E'nergizationof this electromagnet may be efiected in accordance with the circuit diagram of Figure 6. Referring to this diagram, the reference character 126 denotes an electrical plug receivable in a socket for supplying power, as from a conventional source. The electromagnet 102 receives power from this source through line 127, switch 128, line 129, one pair of contacts of dual switch 131 desirably of the push-button type, and line 132.

When it is desired to space the carriage either one way or the other, there is of course a tendency, unless the reproducer 66 is lifted from the record, to drag said reproducer about its pivot pin 50 one way or the other to cant it along a slightly diagonal line offset from its normally centered position. In order to effect centering during such movement, there is provided power means for simultaneously lifting and centering said reproducer during such spacing. In the present embodiment, this power means comprises an electromagnet 133, desirably carried as by means of a screw 130 on an upper flange 134 of a bracket 135. Said bracket may be secured to the left side of the main carriage 55 in any desired manner, as by means of screws (not shown).

The electromagnet 133 comprises a coil 136 mounted on a central post 137 of a magnetizable core 138;:havin'g depending side walls 139 providing for practically completing the magnetic circuit with respect to a centering armature 141. This armature has an upstanding conical projection 142 received in a corresponding V-notch 143 provided in the lower end of the post 137, so that upon energization of the electromagnet, the conical projection 142 fits in the notch and is drawn one way or the other, depending on the direction of misalignment, to correspondingly center the reproducer 66. The armature 141 is connected to said reproducer by an arm 144, the free end of which is secured to the reproducer, as by means of rivets or the like 145, as viewed in Figure 1. This electromagnet 133 is energized simultaneously with the energization of the electromagnet 102, asby means of line 146 branching from line 132, and line 147 branching from line 127, through the upper element 131a of the push-button switch 131.

In order to insure that the electromagnet 102 is disabled against operation when the control knob 84 is turned to move the carriage with respect to the record, and thereby to avoid especially a conflict in tendencies to move the carriage when the control knob is moved in an advance direction, the switch 128, which is desirably one of the single-pole double-throw variety, is mounted on the rack 86. This switch may comprise outer contact elements 149 and 151, between which is sandwiched insulation 148 and an inner and longer contact element 152. The latter moves to effect breakage of the circuit to the electromagnet 102 as the control knob 84 is turned clockwise. This breakage is effected by a lever 153 mounted on said rack by means of a pivot pin 154. A stud 155 depends from said lever and is normally snugly received in a notch 156 in the plate 88, being held in place by spring contact element 152. Thus, the otherwise free desirably insulating end portion of said lever is in engagement with the outer end portion of the inner contact element 152. while allowing said contact element to engage the element 151 to complete the circuit to the magnet 102 when the push-button 131 is operated.

However, upon turning the control knob 84, the rack assembly is moved relative to the plate 88 against the action of the return spring 97, as before described, to cause the stud 1'55 to'ride out of the notch 156 in one direction or another, depending on the direction of movement of the control knob, to swing the lever 1'53 counterclockwise sufiiciently to move the inner contact element 152 from engagement with the contact element 151 and into engagement with the other contact element 149 of the switch 128. This disables the magnet 102, making it impossible to energize it even by closing the switch 131, and avoids any possibility that it will be elfective to backspace the carriage while said carriage is being moved forward by hand. Centering of the reproducer, u on. spacing of the carriage by hand, is clfected by energi'zation of the magnet 133 by engagement of the contact 152 with contact 149, through lines127, contacts 152 and 149, and lines 157, 146 and 132. V

Froin the foregoing disclosure, it will be seen that I have provided an improved arrangement whereby the subc'arriage 45 and the main carriage 5-5, which move forward and backward as a unit'and are considered as the translating means carriage, may be backspaced small distances step-by-step by the repeated closing and opening of switch 131 which may be of the push-button type; During this s'tep-by-step backspacing, the translating means or reproducer 66 is automaticallycentered. I have also provided for the disabling of this 'step-by-step power backspacing means and for the energization of the centering means when one starts to move the carriage by hand.

The embodiment of my invention herein arliament shown and described is intended to be illustrative and net necessarily limitative of my invention, since the is subject to changes and modifications without departule from the scope thereof, which I endeavor "to express according to the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a phonograph having a movably mounted support for a record, the combination of record-cooperabletranslating means, a carriage for said translating means mounted for traveling movement with respect to a record, a control member mounted for rotational movement, a rack coupled to the oarriage, a pinion connected t'o' aid control member and engageable with said rack for said carriage by rotation of said control member, power mechanism etfective when activated, for positively moving said carriage in one direction, means for activating said power mechanism, and means responsive to said cont'rcl member for placing said activating means in an inoperable condition when manual movement of said control mem ber is initiated to shift said carriage in the other direction.

2. In a phonograph having a movably mounted support for a record, the combination of record-cooperablc trans lating means, a carriage for said translating means mounted for traveling movement with respect to a record, a control member mounted for rotational movement, 'a rack coupled to the carriage, a pinion connected to said control member and engageable with said rack for moving said carriage by rotation of said control member, power mechanism for backspacing said carriage, an electrical energizing circuit for said power mechanism including a switch operable to render said power mechanism inoperable, and means controlled by said control member for opening said switch when manual movement of said control member is initiated to shift said carriage forward.

3. In a phonograph having a movably mounted support for a record, a record-cooperable translating means and a carriage for said translating means mounted for traveling movement with respect to a mounted record: the combination of a rotatable manual control member; a lost-motion coupling between said control member and carriage taken up by initial rotation of said control member and adapted for shifting the carriage in one direction upon further rotation of the control member after takeup of said lost-motion coupling; controllable power means for shifting said carriage in the other direction; a control circuit for placing said power means into and out of operation; and means responsive to take-up of said lostmotion coupling upon manually moving said control member to shift said carriage in said one direction for placing said control circuit into an inoperable condition.

4. In a phonograph having a movably mounted support for a record, the combination of record-cooperable translating means, a carriage for said translating means mounted for traveling movement with respect to a record, a feed screw, a normally stationary nut engaged by said screw for effecting said movement, a control member mounted for rotational movement, a member laterally projecting from and movable with said carriage, a rack slidably mounted for limited movement with respect to said projecting member, a pinion connected to said control member and engageable with said rack for moving said carriage, spring means for biasing said rack to the extreme limit of movement in a direction with respect to said projecting member so that there is lost motion therebetween when said carriage is moved forward, power mechanism for backspacing said carriage comprising an electromagnet, an armature oscillatible to and from the magnet as the latter is energized and de-energized, stepby-step mechanism operated by said armature for turning said nut, a power circuit to said electromagnet and a switch operable to close said circuit and energize said electromagnet to effect the desired backspacing, and means for disabling said electromagnet when manual movement of said control member is initiated to shift the carriage forward, said means comprising another switch mounted on said rack and included in said power circuit, a lever pivotally mounted on said rack, a stud positioned on said lever and normally received in a notch in said projecting member whereby, upon turning the control member to move the rack to forward space the carriage, said stud rides out of said notch and the lever is swung to open said other switch.

5. In a phonograph having a movably mounted support for a record, the combination of record-cooperable translating means, a carriage for said translating means mounted for traveling movement with respect to a record, a feed screw, a normally stationary nut engaged by said screw for eifecting said movement, a control member mounted for rotational movement, a member laterally projecting from and movable with said carriage, a rack slidably mounted for limited movement with respect to said projecting member, a pinion connected to said control member and engageable with said rack for moving said carriage, spring means for biasing said rack to the extreme limit of movement in a direction with respect to said projecting member so that there is lost motion between said rack and projecting member when said carriage is moved forward, power mechanism for backspacing said carriage comprising an electromagnet, an armature oscillatible to and from the magnet as the latter is energized and deenergized, said armature having a pin, a bell-crank lever pivoted to the carriage and having a slot in one arm thereof receiving said pin, the other arm of said bell-crank lever carrying a pin, a plate pivotally mounted with respect to said carriage and spring-biasedto normally engage a stop thereon, said plate having a slot receiving the pin of the other arm of said bellcrank lever, a pawl pivotally carried by said plate, a

ratchet pivoted on said carriage coaxially with said plate,

able with said ratchet, means connecting said magnet to a source of electricity through a switch operable to close or open the circuit and energize or de-energize said electromagnet to effect the desired backspacing and means for disabling said electromagnet when manual movement of said control member is initiated to shift the carriage forward, said means comprising a double-throw switch mounted on said rack and comprising outer contact elements between which is sandwiched insulation and an inner and longer contact element normally engaging one of said outer contact elements, said engaging contact elements being in said circuit to the magnet, a lever pivotally mounted on said rack, a stud positioned on said lever and normally received in a notch in said projecting member, whereby upon turning the control member to move the rack to forward space the carriage, said stud by reason of said lost motion, rides out of said notch and the lever is thus swung sufficiently to move said longer contact element from said normally-engaged outer element to break said circuit.

6. In a phonograph having a movably mounted support. for a record, the combination of a record-cooperablereproducer, a carriage for said translating means mounted for traveling movement with respect to a record, a control member mounted for rotational movement, a member projecting from said carriage in the direction of move ment of the latter, a rack having a slidable lost-motion mounting on said projecting member for limited move ment lengthwise thereof, means biasing said rack into an intermediate position in its lost-motion range relative to said projecting member, a pinion connected to said control member and engageable with said rack for moving said carriage after take-up of the lost motion between the rack and projecting member, power mechanism for backspacing said carriage, a power circuit to said power mechanism, a switch operable to close said circuit to eflect the desired backspacing, a second switch in said circuit openable to disable said power mechanism, and means operable by movement of said rack from its intermediate position to either -end of its lost-motion range relative to said projecting member as said control member is rotated to exert a force on said rack for opening said second switch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,442,887 Buente et a1. June 8, 1948 2,455,466 Brubaker Dec. 7, 1948 2,561,466 Galragen July 24, 1951 2,581,499 Roberts Jan. 8, 1952 2,613,939 Moore Oct. 14, 1952 2,660,623 Somers Nov. 24, 1953 2,672,346 Roberts Mar. 16, 1954 2,685,772 Proctor Aug. 10, 1954' 

